


Elevator Buttons and Midnight Air

by actually_its_cady



Category: Jagged Little Pill - Morissette & Ballard/Morissette/Cody
Genre: I still love her tho, MJ cant talk about her feelings, Steve is such a good husband
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:01:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actually_its_cady/pseuds/actually_its_cady
Summary: MJ and Steve get stuck in an elevator.
Relationships: Mary Jane "MJ" Healy/Steve Healy
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Elevator Buttons and Midnight Air

**Author's Note:**

> Title adapted from one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs, plot taken from one of my previous works (thanks to @mjhealy for pointing it out!) Takes place while the kids are still little.

Steve smiled softly as he stepped into the elevator behind MJ. Today had just been so damn good. Laying on the beach, drinks at the swim up bar, fancy dinner with no kids begging for chicken fingers.

It was their first real vacation the two of them had had in years. Once Steve had gotten promoted at the firm, he could afford to take a little time off to spend with MJ. Since they had adopted Frankie, their whole lives had revolved around the kids, and with Steve working so much, it felt like he hadn’t seen MJ in months. So for Christmas, he surprised her with this trip, just for the two of them. Nick and Frankie were staying with Steve’s parents, so they had the long weekend all to themselves.

Grinning at Steve, MJ pushed the button and pulled him in for a kiss as the doors slid shut. 

They hadn’t been closed more than a few seconds before the lights went out and the movement stopped. 

Immediately, MJ pulled away from Steve, pressing her back to the wall behind her. The emergency overhead light cast a dim glow in the elevator as Steve’s eyes searched around the space. He hit the button again. No movement. 

Surveying the panel in front of him, his eyes scanned over buttons until the found the one marked “emergency”. He pressed it, and a dial tone sounded before a voice on the other side asked “is this an emergency?”

“Yeah, I think?” Steve questioned. “We’re in an elevator and the lights went out and we’re not moving”.

“Are you at the Saint Regis in Miami?”

“Yeah”

“Yeah, there’s been a little technical glitch over there, the other elevator in the building stopped too. No big deal, we’ve got someone on their way to fix it” the man on the phone said, sounding almost annoyed with Steve’s call.

“And we just… stay in here? Are we going to fall?” Steve asked.

“Nah, man, emergency stop is on, you’re good. You’ll be out in thirty, forty minutes tops” the man said again, with no sense of urgency in his voice.

“Alright, well… thanks”, Steve said with a chuckle.

Releasing his thumb from the call button, he turned to make a joke about the situation to MJ, only to find her leaned against the wall, face flushed, eyes wide. 

“MJ”? Steve asked, startled. MJ was never one to panic, never one to be nervous. 

MJ locked eyes with Steve and tried to take a shaky breath. “I…” she trailed off.

“MJ, we’re going to be fine, the guy said it would be a half hour. And we’re not gonna fall. Why are you freaking out?” 

MJ tried to take another breath. Internally, she was screaming.

She hated small spaces. Really hated them. Doctor’s offices, fitting rooms, getting caught in a crowd. She’d almost thrown up when she had to get an MRI on her ankle. She avoided elevators almost altogether, except for when she was with the kids. Or Steve.

Because no one knew that she didn’t like small spaces (deep down, MJ knew it was claustrphobia, but she’d be damned if she gave herself a diagnosis). No one knew because they would ask why, and MJ didn’t want to say why she hated small spaces, because what would she say? “Well, you see Steve, when I was in college I was pinned down and-”

MJ stopped herself from finishing that thought before trying to take another deep breath. Steve was staring at her, confusion written all over his face. Of course he was confused. He didn’t know it, but MJ had been hiding her emotions from him since the day they had met at that lame Halloween party their junior year. He had never seen her anxious, had certainly never seen her have a panic attack. She was almost an expert at hiding them now- a well timed shower and a little white lie about where she had been had always been able to save her.

But not here. Not now. 

Gently, Steve took a step toward MJ, placing a hand on her shaking arm. “Do you want to sit down? I think you should sit down” he said.

Silently, MJ nodded, sinking down to the floor, Steve still across from her. Steve’s eyes searched her face, looking for something that would explain why she was so upset.

“MJ, hon, just take a deep breath”, Steve said, breathing deeply through his nose as if he was demonstrating.

MJ tried, but her breathing was still shallow and ragged. Gently, Steve moved his hand down to put it in hers.

“Here, squeeze my hand. Tight. Focus on that” Steve tried.

MJ squeezed his hand, tentatively at first, but then harder as her breathing continued to quicken.

“There you go. Try to take another deep breath now?” Steve probed gently.

MJ tried, and finally succeeded in breathing deeply. 

“Try another one” 

They went back and forth like this for a few moments, MJ taking deep breaths on Steve’s urging, before her body exhausted itself and she slumped lower against the wall.

“Woah there, MJ” Steve said as he slid next to MJ, supporting her upper body and helping her lean against him. 

MJ relaxed a little. Steve was warm and safe and strong, and she knew he would make sure they were okay. Eyes closed, she leaned more heavily against him as he gently rubbed her back.

After a few moments, Steve spoke. “What was that about? I didn’t know you were claustrophobic".

MJ tensed. “I- I’m not. I just...don’t like not being able to leave when I want, that’s all. I.. don’t like being trapped in places I don’t want to be”.

Above her, Steve nodded slowly. He had never seen MJ act like that before, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. 

“I think that makes a lot of sense, MJ” he said softly, looking down at her. “But if I’m going to be trapped somewhere, I’m glad it’s with you”.

“Dork”, MJ snorted, even though she was smiling at the joke. 

They sat for another few minutes, MJ wondering if she should tell Steve anything else, while Steve wondered if MJ wasn’t telling him something. There was something off about her answer, but he didn’t want to push the subject, not right now. 

So they sat, snuggled up together on the floor of the elevator, until it started moving upwards, toward their original destination. After a minute, the doors opened and light filled the room.

Steve glanced down at MJ, confused as to why she wasn’t leaping out of the elevator, before realizing that she was almost asleep in his arms- probably tired out from all that hyperventilating, he thought. Plus the wine at dinner- wine always made her sleepy. 

Gently, Steve nudged her awake, laughing as MJ shot up once she realized they were free. Her burst of energy faded quickly, though, and after they were back in their room, she changed out of her dress and crawled into bed, exhausted from her panic attack. She couldn’t keep her eyes open as Steve pulled the covers up to her shoulders, but did give a soft smile as he kissed her forehead. 

Suddenly equally tired, Steve climbed into bed beside MJ, glancing at her sleeping form. He would ask her about the claustrophobia thing tomorrow, he decided. But for now, he was happy to just fall asleep, MJ by his side.


End file.
